Springfield, Illinois – The 2019-20 North American Hockey League (NAHL) started to take shape yesterday afternoon when the regular season and event schedule was released. The season will run from September until May and will include the annual NAHL Showcase, Top Prospects Tournament, and Robertson Cup Championship events.
The 17th annual NAHL Showcase will take place at the Super Rink in Blaine, MN and will see each team in attendance, including the inaugural appearances by the Maine Nordiques and the New Mexico Ice Wolves. The event runs from September 18th through the 21st and the schedule for the event will be released at a later date. At last year’s showcase the Jr. Blues faced off against the Maryland Black Bears, Northeast Generals, Odessa Jackalopes, and Johnstown Tomahawks and came away with a 2-2-0 record.
Attleboro, Massachusetts will host the 2020 Top Prospects Tournament for a second straight season. The New England Sports Village will see prospects from each division battle against each other from February 17-18th in front of scouts from around the country. Brandon Puricelli, Max Brainin, Jack Williams, and Janis Voris represented Springfield at the event this past season. Three of the four players are now committed to collegiate hockey programs.
The season will conclude at the Robertson Cup Championship on May12th at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minnesota for the third consecutive season. The Aberdeen Wings won the championship this past May over the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, claiming the oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States for the first time in franchise history. The Jr. Blues lost in the first round to the Minnesota Magicians this past season, but have won two Robertson Cups in their 26 seasons in the NAHL.
As for the Jr. Blues schedule, the season is highlighted by trips to Alaska, Louisiana, and Kansas. The Nelson Center will play host to 28 regular season games including three game sets against the Kenai River Brown Bears (December) and Fairbanks (February). Only one Sunday matchup is on the schedule this season, while there is also one Thursday night contest as well. October and January are the busiest months for home games, while December, February, March, and April have only one home series each.
Home Schedule:
September:
27 & 28 – Topeka Pilots
October:
4 & 5 – Shreveport Mudbugs
18 & 19 – Topeka Pilots
25 & 26 – Minnesota Magicians
November:
1 & 2 – Janesville Jets
22 & 23 – Janesville Jets
December:
12, 13 & 14 – Kenai River Brown Bears
January:
3 & 4 – Topeka Pilots
10 & 11 – Minnesota Magicians
17 & 18 – Chippewa Steel
February:
21, 22 & 23 – Fairbanks Ice Dogs
March:
13 & 14 – Janesville Jets
April:
3 & 4 – Chippewa Steel
Away Schedule:
October:
11 & 12 – Chippewa Steel
November:
7, 8 & 9 – Fairbanks Ice Dogs
14, 15 & 16 – Kenai River Brown Bears
29 & 30 – Chippewa Steel
December:
6 & 7 – Topeka Pilots
19 & 20 – Minnesota Magicians
January:
24 & 25 – Topeka Pilots
31 – Janesville Jets
February:
1 – Janesville Jets
7 & 8 – Shreveport Mudbugs
14 & 15 – Topeka Pilots
28 & 29 – Janesville Jets
March:
6 & 7 – Minnesota Magicians
27 & 28 – Janesville Jets
We are currently working on setting up our promotional schedule for the upcoming season. Information and dates will be released in the upcoming weeks. If you, or someone you know, is interested in partnering with the Jr. Blues for the upcoming season, contact us by phone (217.525.2589) or by email (info@jrblues.com).
